a food journal

I’ve been sharing some of my favorite football snacks with you this week. Here’s the final installment! You can find the other recipes here and here.

Are you guys ready for the Super Bowl? I can’t believe it’s almost here. This football season seemed to go by quickly!

Philadelphia Eagles fans had quite a season this year. Lots of ups and downs. The rise of a new quarterback star. The heart-wrenching disappointment of this year not being “our year.” Overall, though, it was a fun, action-packed season. Which is why I suppose it went by so fast.

Even though my team isn’t playing on Sunday, I still think it’s totally appropriate to make a ton of fun snacks and get together with friends. If for nothing else, do it to watch the commercials. I love the Super Bowl commercials. They really make the whole experience. This is coming from someone who hasn’t watched her team play in the Super Bowl in many moons. Womp womp.

To round out my week of football snacks, I made you some smoked gouda-ricotta fritters. They are fan-friggin-tastic. Even if you aren’t celebrating the Super Bowl this year, these must be made at some point! They are smoky, super cheesy, creamy, and crunchy…and the sauce just takes them over the top. I love smoked cheese. It’s definitely a newer thing for me, but I think it adds such an interesting flavor element to many dishes. It is an acquired taste, for sure.

My husband is NOT the biggest fan of smoked cheese, so I have to be careful when I cook with it. These fritters are smoky but not OVERWHELMINGLY so. The creaminess of the ricotta helps with that.

As I mentioned recently, I do not deep fry things at home very often, but I already had my pot of oil set up from those incredible buffalo chicken wontons, so I thought I may as well fry a few things to make good use of the hassle. I’m so glad I decided to try these. They rock.

For all of you who will be watching the game (or just the commercials), enjoy! I’ll be working in a distant time zone during the Super Bowl and may not get to see the action. I will, however, make sure to fry up some of these delicious cheese fritters when I am watching the recorded game next week. In fact, I think I’m going to pretend like it’s live and eat ALL the snacks I made for you this week. I can’t wait.

Smoked Gouda Fritters with Balsamic Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

(makes 8-10 servings)

For the Fritters:

1 (15-oz) container whole milk ricotta

1 cup shredded smoked gouda

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs

Canola oil, for frying

For the Dipping Sauce:

⅓ cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Fritters:

Combine the cheeses in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture into hand and roll gently into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining filling. Once all fritters are formed, place the tray in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Remove from tray and dredge each fritter in the flour, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs. Repeat with all fritters and return to the baking sheet. Freeze for at least 30 minutes (frozen fritters can be stored in plastic bags and fried whenever you need them).

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot until temperature reaches about 350°F. Working in batches, place the chilled fritters in the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides. Remove from oil and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all fritters are fried. Serve fritters warm with dipping sauce.

For the Dipping Sauce:

While the fritters are chilling, mix all ingredients for the dipping sauce together in a bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.

Comments

Molly, these look amaaaaazzzing! I pinned them to my “when it’s time to splurge” Pinterest board. Happy to find your blog via Foodgawker. My “spaetzle with caramelized onions” pic was just above and to the left of your fritters. Cheers! Lisa